Summary
Phil folds a paper airplane, then builds one big enough to ride in, to discover the forces that keep a glider in the air. A clear, fun introduction to lift, weight, and how air pushes on a moving wing. ~22 min, free on the official Science Max YouTube channel.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
From a folded plane to a giant glider, Phil tests what keeps something flying.
- What forces are pushing and pulling on a paper airplane?
- How does the shape of the wings change the flight?
- Why does a heavier plane come down faster?
- What could you change to make your plane fly farther?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: lift, weight, wing, glide, force.
Try it: Fold two paper airplanes with different wing shapes. Throw each one the same way and measure which flies farther.